Why you should consider getting a very expensive Roku

A few Christmases back I surprised the kids with an Xbox. We've had a bit of fun with it, but for the most part it has served as a very expensive replacement for the Roku.

But the kids will go in phases where they dig into some particular game.

This last week was one such phase. It Takes Two.

It Takes Two is unique. It requires two players. You can't play otherwise.

Our heroes are husband and wife, Cody and Mae. Divorce is on the horizon. Their kid, Rose, thinks it's her fault.

Somehow or another they get turned into dolls and have to work through different challenges in the garage, back yard and Rose's play room. Their guide, The Book of Love, is a magic anthropomorphic book rescued from the trash at school.

Anyway... cool game. You have to work together. And it has a happy ending to boot.

We've never been fans of video games. Our kids just end up fussing at each other. But with games like this, they have to work together. Forcing collaboration, not competition.

Competition has its place. But required collaboration is a cool game mechanic.

I think it is showing up in traditional games as well. Two summers ago we were browsing a bookstore in rural Maine. It had a little game section.

I noticed this game, Forbidden Desert. It looked cool. Up to 5 players. But this game was collaborative. Not something I'd really seen in board games.

So we bought it and played on repeat that summer.

Working together.

We've probably played the game over 30 times since then. We've never made it out of that bloody desert. We've never won.

But that's not the point. Not really.

I run a solo business. I'm a bit of a loner, in the most delightful way.

But solo doesn't mean alone.

I meet a buddy for coffee weekly. I hire professionals of all sorts. Legal, tax, etc. I read deeply from professionals in my industry. Money managers, macro thinkers, advisor coaches.

So yeah. I'm solo, but never alone.

Almost everything in money is sold as competition.

Beat the market. Outperform. Win.

As if your financial life is a game you play against everyone else.

It isn't.

The things that actually build a life are collaborative.

Your spouse. Your kids. The people you lean on.

The games had it right. It's not a competition you win. It's a desert. And the only way out is together.

Best,

John Montgomery

P.S. What's the best collaborative game you've played? I'm always looking for the next one.